NPR's Tiny Desk Concert top 5
NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series demonstrate raw talent.
This blog entry is simply not fair. We feel that before anything else we must make this disclaimer: “we love and enjoy the music of ALL artist that have ever performed in NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series” – Ok, so that that’s out of they way, let’s get right to it. We are not sure if we have watched all of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, but we have watched a ton of them. NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series is pure genius, and it can stand neck-to-neck with MTV’s unplugged, VH-1 Storytellers and Yahoo’s Live Acoustic series. Thus, in our most humble opinion, these are our top 5 NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Performances.
# 5 Red Baraat
In their website, Red Baraat is described as a pioneering eight-piece band from Brooklyn, New York. Rollicking funk music steeped in Northern India's wedding celebrations, with a dash of D.C. go-go beats and hip-hop. Their opening song turned us instantly into fans.
# 4 La Santa Cecilia
Yes, you can see our biases here. We love this band so much that even wrote a whole story about them in one of our previous entries. Marisol Hernandez continues to prove that she does not need a big stage to deliver a powerful performance.
# 3 Monsieur Periné
This band will blow you away. Monsieur Periné is pure evidences that Colombia is a lot more than Shakira, Coffee and Cocaine. This youthful band somehow managed to bring back to live the 1920/s swing-jazz back to live. If you have never heard of Monsieur Periné, we highly recommend that you check them out.
# 2 Natalia Lafourcade
There’s so much we could write about Natalia, that we are not going to write much. Her music speaks for itself Her voice is the ultimate benzodiazepine. After a stressful day, simply listen to Natalia LaFourcade and you’ll be ready to go.
# 1 Adele
The first place unanimously goes to Adele. Like Natalia, so much we could say about Adele, but most has already been told, written and expressed. Adele’s mesmerizing voice is almost better raw and unplugged than processed through studio effects.
The Greatest Band You Have Never Heard of.
From Los Angeles, California to The World....
Somehow, The City Of Tulsa continues to be a beacon of progress, in an area that often lacks in ingenuity and vision. But not to worry, I’m not breaking my golden rule, this is not a political post.
As of part of the Hispanic Heritage month celebrations, organizers for The Festival Americas, managed to bring to the Guthrie Green for a free concert, Grammy Award winner band: La Santa Cecilia. Yes, you read that right. Music concert, check. Grammy award winner band, check. FREE, triple check.
It was a magical evening. Kudos to those who managed to pull it off. Now, back to the band. If you have never heard of La Santa Cecilia, we highly recommend that you add them to your playlist. The lead singer, Marisol Hernandez managed to entertain and put up a World-class show without having to use the theatrical effects often used by Pink, U2, Marilyn Manson, Kiss and others.
Their music was happy, sassy, groovy, fun, spectacular, and of course multicultural. Their message was universal. To conclude, we must do justice to this post, and to do that, we must direct the spotlight to where it deserves to point, to Jose Carlos. We do not hesitate when we write that he is perhaps the most underrated guitar player on this planet; or perhaps should we say Accordion player. He didn’t only play both instruments, but completely mastered their playing musical arrangements throughout their show. La Santa Cecilia is a without a doubt a must-see musical experience.
Ramen
Ramen, from modest fuel for the working poor to an international icon of Japanese culture
In this highly original account of geopolitics and development in Japan, George Solt traces the dramatic growth of ramen from modest fuel for the working poor to an international icon of Japanese culture. In the United States, ramen has now quickly evolved from a college dorm essential to being an epicurean delight.
Our latest quest for the best ramen in town took us to Goro Ramen, located at 1634 N Blackwelder Ave #102 ~ in Oklahoma City.
The atmosphere was just right, and the world-class service provided by Ricky was great. Do not let Goro Ramen’s simple two-sided menu fool you; their menu is anything but simple. For appetizer; the Chicken Kara-age. For the main entrée; the Tori Paitan. Both dishes were remarkable, and the delicacy with which they were cooked was felt in every bite.
Many would argue that Basketball, Hollywood movies, Apple, Microsoft, and Starbucks are some of our culture’s most influential exports. We argue that ramen is just as influential and was the fuel that propelled some of America’s iconic successes.
Chaiklin, M. (2016). Brewed in Japan: the Evolution of the Japanese Beer Industry, by Jeffrey W. Alexander. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2013; The Untold History of Ramen: How Political Crisis in Japan Spawned a Global Food Craze, by George Solt. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2014; Making Tea, Making Japan: Cultural Nationalism in Practice, by Kristin Surak. Stanford University Press, 2013. Journal Of Asian Studies, 75(3), 831-835.
En Letra De Otro
Pedro Capo's En Letra De Otro, is by far, the most effective time machine ever built.
The first time we heard Pedro Capo's voice was back in 2009, when our Gilberto Santa Rosa Pandora station randomly played Pedro Capo's Un Minuto. We have been hooked since then. We may be a bit biased, but for us, Pedro Capo is by far the best artist that has come out of The Puerto Rican Island. 2014 was another great year, his album "Aquila" did not disappoint. Filled with hits. His fan-base expected nothing less. We waited three years for what we believe is a record that will be remembered for eternity.
The Album's teasers were great. First, "Azucar Amargo" - We listened to it all day until we realized it was a cover by Fey. When we were in 5th grade, Fey's Azucar Amargo was the go-to song for most radio stations. The second single released was Selena's "Amor Prohibido" It was then when we realized that this was going to be a tribute album, but not just any tribute album. Somehow, Pedro Capo had managed to create the most effective time machine ever created...
Not only that but the iconic anthems that were chosen for the album were treated with the respect they deserved. It easy to play a cover song, but it is not simple to bring a song back to life and still keep its original vibrant heart beating stronger than before. "En Letra De Otro" was finally released, and we have not stopped listening since then. Pedro Capo's raw talent was on clear display throughout the album, nonetheless, most of our attention shifted towards track # 6. Atrevete-te-te, perhaps the most difficult song to re-enact; a song by Calle 13, a band that can only be placed in its own musical genre. When we noticed Atrevete-te-te was a song on the album, our first thoughts were "There's no way he did a cover of that song" Still, Capo managed to pull it off. It was a great representation of such an iconic band.
Our favorite song on the Album was OV7's Te Quiero Tanto. It is the same as the original, but at the same time, it is not. It is as Strong as the original, but with an even more delicate side. It is a reverent cover of the original, but far from being an imitation.
The Album was released in conjunction with and HBO Concert Special. Yes, you guessed it, we signed up for HBO just to watch the performance. Pedro Capo's enchantment was present throughout the entire HBO Special.
Pedro Capo " En Letra De Otro" Copyright: (P) 2017 Sony Music Entertainment US Latin LLC
KT's Smokehouse
KT's Smokehouse, there's no place like home, and homemade food is the best.
If you ever find yourself in The Sooner State, the state we call home, head down south highway 76 in Blanchard, and on your right, shortly before the H.E. Baily Turnpike, you’ll find KT’S Smokehouse. We are often asked: “Where in world is your favorite place to eat? What is the best meal you have eaten?” Astonishment quickly colors their look as we provide our answer. No, no fancy seafood dish or street-made spices galore. For us, nothing can compare to the ribeye cut flamed to medium rare, the chicken fried steak that is just crispy enough, the mashed-potatoes with the perfect amount of gravy, the sticky mac & cheese, the fresh rolls, and much, much, much more. Are you hungry yet? – KT’s offers all of the above. To our critics who are probably classifying us a biased, perhaps we are. To the foodies out there who will argue to death that homemade fresh rolls cannot possible compare to a freshly-fished bowl of Peruvian ceviche, you are probably right, in fact, you are right. But for us, is about being at home, that special feeling of eating where you belong. Dorothy’s cliché is still true now more than ever, there’s absolutely no place like home.
The Museum of the Desert
Ecological Diversity in the desert.
Our visit to The Museum of the Desert in Saltillo Coahuila was an spiritual experience that connected us to the early stages of this planet. The Museum of the Desert in Saltillo offered us a great insight into what was once a water-rich area. While at the Museum, it was revealed to us that the desert can be filled with so much diversity. It looks like Neil deGrasse Tyson was right when said that The very nature of science is discoveries, and the best of those discoveries are the ones you don't expect.
Elyse & Gustavo
A marriage proposal at the OKC Ferris Wheel.
The sun was fading as I played soccer with several friends. Among them, Gustavo. He was planning on proposing to his girlfriend (now wife) Elyse.
I must be honest, the idea was his, but I was more than happy to help. Elyse had been assisting me as a model for a photography project, so the concept was the following: Set up a fake photoshoot with Elyse, and Gustavo was going to appear from behind. Well, the rest is history. The scene took place at the newly opened Oklahoma City Ferris Wheel, which used to be the Santa Monica Pier ferris wheel. It was bought on ebay for around $135,000
Source: Oklahoma's own news channel 9
